1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ski safety binding adapted to releasably maintain the front of a boot mounted on the ski.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Safety bindings for skis, particularly front bindings, include a body mounted on a base affixed to the ski. The body of the binding has, at its rear portion, a retention jaw for engagement with the boot. The jaw includes two lateral opposed retention wings and an energization mechanism positioned within the body to elastically return the jaw to the engagement position with the boot. The energization mechanism includes a compressed energy spring which is supported at one end by a support surface connected to the body and, at its other end, on a force transmission element which is longitudinally movable in the body and coupled to the jaw in a manner so as to elastically bias the jaw against the front of the boot to ensure the retention of the boot on the ski.
Front bindings of the above type are described, for example, in French Pat. No. 2,190,488. The binding described therein includes a retention jaw which is constituted by two lateral retention wings which respectively form an integral portion with the posterior portions of two L-shaped arms which act as levers. Each of the arms is journalled on the body of the binding, at its front portion, substantially at the apex of the L, around a vertical axis. Each arm further includes a major longitudinal arm segment extending towards the rear, and at the end of which is formed one of the retention wings and, at the front, a minor transverse arm segment extending toward the longitudinal axis of the binding. A force transmission element, such as a piston, acts on the minor arm segment and is pushed frontwardly by the energy spring, which forms a portion of the energization by the energy mechanism. Consequently, the force exerted by the energy spring on the minor arm segments of the two L-shaped arms tends to pivot the longitudinal arm segments of the L-shaped arms in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the binding. This presses the lateral retention wings, which are an integral portion of the L-shaped arm, against the edge of the sole. The lateral retention wings are likewise shaped in a manner so as to ensure the vertical retention of the boot. Furthermore, in such a front binding the rear edge portion of each arm which is near the longitudinal axis of the binding constitutes a frontal support against which the front of the sole of the boot is maintained in abutment. Facing this frontal support towards the exterior is a support surface of the lateral retention wing in contact with the edge of the sole of the boot.
Such a front binding has a certain number of disadvantages. First, by virtue of the fact that the lateral wing is an integral portion of the L-shaped arm, during lateral release, there is a substantial friction between the edge of the sole and the retention wing because there is a relative sliding of the sole on the wing. Furthermore, with regard to the lateral portion of the boot which causes a lateral release of the front binding, the front of the boot must go around the rear end of the portion of the L-shaped arm, which constitutes the lateral retention wing, before becoming released. Consequently, the boot is retained for a relatively long period in the front binding before being released and its actual release is not very precise.